CBSE Introduces Exam Format Changes to Foster Real-Life Competency

New Delhi: In a bid to cultivate students’ proficiency in applying academic concepts to practical scenarios, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has unveiled significant alterations to the examination format for Classes XI and XII, effective from the 2024-25 academic session.

CBSE officials revealed to PTI that the revamped exam pattern will incorporate a higher proportion of competency-based questions, reflecting a paradigm shift towards assessing students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations. This move aligns closely with the overarching objectives outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Under the new format, competency-focused questions, including multiple-choice questions (MCQs), case-based questions, and source-based integrated questions, will witness an increase from 40 to 50 per cent of the total assessment weightage. These questions are strategically designed to evaluate students’ analytical prowess and practical application of academic concepts.

Conversely, the percentage of constructed response questions, encompassing both short and long answers, has been scaled down from 40 to 30 per cent.

Joseph Emanuel, Director (Academics) at CBSE, underscored the Board’s commitment to fostering an educational ecosystem that transcends rote memorization, emphasizing the cultivation of creative, critical, and systems thinking capacities among students to equip them for the challenges of the 21st century.

“The main emphasis of the Board was to create an educational ecosystem that would move away from rote memorization and towards learning that is focused on developing the creative, critical and systems thinking capacities of students to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Emanuel remarked.

Importantly, CBSE clarified that there will be no modifications to the examination formats for Classes IX and X, ensuring continuity in the assessment structure for students in these grades.